Kate Collins's Blog, page 311

Stopping to smelling the roses even when they smell like jet fuel

By the time you read this, I'll be making my way to Santa Fe for Left Coast Crime. Early morning rush to the airport through major highway construction, layover in Dallas, taxi into Albuquerque, take some kind of transportation up to Santa Fe. Whew, I hate even thinking about it.

Because I'm a destination person. I have my eye on the prize at the end of the day - meeting up with old friends, settling in, a great meal. My husband is going along. He's a journey guy. He doesn't let glitches bother him. He takes them in stride, considers them part of the plan. Me? I grumble and complain. Or, rather, I used to.

Something happened along the way as I age. It helps that I have my laptop along. And my Kindle. Toys. I'm really, really trying to enjoy the moment, even if it spins out of my control. I promised myself, whatever happens today, however long it takes to arrive, it's okay.

What about you? Destination? Or journey?

Travels to Ancient Lands

This week I'll be traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a mystery conference, Left Coast Crime. Santa Fe is a beautiful city and a wonderful example of Spanish Colonial architecture in our southwestern United States. Lots of history there. If you've never been, think about going. I was last in Santa Fe in the Fall of 2004, so I'm really looking forward to joining other writer friends and reader friends for several days of enjoying yummy New Mexico cuisine and stunning scenery.


My daughter, Melissa, will be making a trip this April, but she'll be traveling a lot farther. As I've mentioned before, Melissa lives and works in Manhattan, and she usually travels around the time of her birthday in May. She's been to several countries in Europe, Ireland, England, Greece and the isle of Io, Turkey, and Costa Rica, as well as Mexico. This year, Melissa had the opportunity to travel for a bit longer during the month of April. And this time, she chose an entirely different itinerary. She's traveling to the Middle East, specifically Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

Needless to say, as her mom, I was concerned about this trip even before the explosive events that shook Egypt last month. Melissa had just bought her airline tickets two days before Egypt exploded in revolution. I thought for sure that her travel plans would be cancelled. But, the situation has calmed a great deal, and the intrepid travelers of the world, like Melissa, are on the road again. The US Government has issued a travel warning for Egypt, but not a ban.

Am I concerned? Of course, I am. I'm her mom. And once a mom, always a mom. No matter how old your kids get, you worry. It comes with the "Mom Territory." But---Melissa has always been a savvy traveler, and she's been on many different travel sites and blogs, touching base with other travelers who will be in Egypt, Israel, and Jordan when she is. Since her visit deliberately covers the weeks preceding Easter, I'm fairly certain there will be a LOT of visitors to the Holy Lands. These areas are prime tourist destinations, so that makes me feel a lot better. Tourists are a needed economic resource for every country.


Melissa will also be posting to a blog about her daily travel adventures. That way, all of us in the family can keep track of her whereabouts. And, so can others. Once she's decided which blogsite she will post to, I'll alert all of the Cozy Chicks bloggers and readers to the website address. That way, you can help me (aka Mother Hen) keep track of her wandering chick.

DANCING WITH THE (NON)STARS

by Kate Collins

I'll admit it. I'm a Dancing with the Stars junkie. I simply can't get enough. It doesn't even bother me anymore that the lineup of "stars" are many people I've never heard of. To me, it's about watching the transformations from a state of two-left-footedness (and I don't care if that's not a real word; it works for me) to a skillful, or at least semi-skillful, dancer.

I'm not too fond of the formulaic aspect – one young Olympic gold medalist or comparable athlete, one or two super sports stars, two or three actors, and a senior citizen – because the competition seems too predictable. Yet I've been surprised, and in one case, appalled. If you're a fan, you know who I mean.

The hiatus between seasons is pure misery for me. Of course, this is aided in large part by the abysmally horrid shows on television this year. I mean, seriously, besides Castle, 30 Rock, reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, Masterpiece Theater, and just about anything on HGTV, what is there to watch?

So it is with great anticipation that I look forward to tomorrow nig ht, when the new season starts. Who will be the first to go? Who will manage to hang on purely because of fan base but no real skill? Who will be blowing their horn at first and then fizzle? Who will start out slow and pick up steam?

I can't wait for this train to leave the station. Anyone on board with me?

Kate

When the Rodeo Meets Rush Hour

by Leann Sweeney

There are many advantages to living close to one of the largest cities in the country. Events, restaurants, sports teams, the arts, big libraries, wonderful medical care. The list could go on and on. In my younger days, I took advantage of so many of these things in Houston. But I don't get out that much any more. They don't mean as much now.

One thing I hardly miss, however, is my weekly writer's group. Those people have made me a better writer and I hope, with their help I will continue to grow. But, the meeting is at 6 PM and it takes me 45 minutes to get there traveling on 4 different major highways. 45 minutes on a good day. For the most part I manage the traffic pretty well, but this past week I met up with freeway hell.

Kiss, the rock group, not the good kind of kiss, was playing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Reliant Stadium (the stadium that replaced the Astrodome). Yup. I wondered the same thing. Why Kiss at a rodeo? Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, yes. But Kiss? I don't have an answer except they apparently still have plenty of fans. And I believe all 80,000 of them were on the freeway at the same time that I was last Tuesday.

My problem became apparent when it was far too late to turn around and go home. I was stuck in a five lane parking lot. There really is no way to get to the southwest side of Houston without hitting that traffic--or without hitting the traffic made up of people going home from their downtown jobs in the opposite direction. Those cars were also stopped dead.

I ended up adding an extra hour to my trip along with frazzled nerves and an upset stomach. Some folks don't handle traffic like that with the patience required. They like to drive on the shoulder, cut people off and make everyone else more tense than they already are. I arrived at my meeting wondering how awful the trip home would be. I got lucky. The Kiss concert must have still been going on. Kiss? Really?

How about you? Do you commute? Live in the country to avoid problems like this? Or is it no big deal to find yourself sitting in traffic with nothing to do but inch along? All I can say is, I will NEVER leave home without an audio book in my car again.

Cupcakes on my mind

By Lorna Barrett / Lorraine Bartlett

Why is it when we diet we think about the foods we should not have?

Since I've been dieting, I've been dreaming (and obsessed during daylight hours, too) of cupcakes.  Lots of cupcakes.  Beautiful cupcakes.  Cupcakes with floral decorations.
I've even been using the word cupcake as a sad-thought deterrent.  Yup.  A sad thought comes my way and I tell myself:  "CUPCAKE!"  I mean, it's a cheerful word.  And it brings with it a cheerful mental picture.

I think of cupcakes (which I hardly ever eat) as a reward.  I don't use the real thing as a reward, but the thought is my reward.

Meanwhile, I'm losing weight (and not nearly as fast as I'd like) while NOT eating cupcakes. I've already got goal jeans in the closet and of course having a destination in mind (Malice Domestic next month) keeps me on track.

In the meantime, there's no harm in THINKING about cupcakes, is there?

Palpitations

By Heather Webber/ Heather Blake

The other day my teenage daughter came home from school with a reminder note written on her hand (she gets this from her dad--he does the same thing).

It said, "Hardcover book."

I asked her why she had "hardcover book" written on her hand, and she explained that she needed to bring one to art class.

Me: Why?
Her: To rip up.
Me: (Gasp!) Why?
Her: To make a sculpture.

Once I got over the shock of a teacher wanting a kid to rip a book to shreds, I started thinking this could be a cool project. They need a hardcover book for both the words and pictures. My daughter is leaning towards bringing a children's book like Make Way for Ducklings or If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Definitely not one of the copies we own, which means a trip to the bookstore, and not a used bookstore, either. I figure if some poor author's book is going to be ripped up, she might as well get the full royalty for it.

Now, if I can only get my family to stop writing on their hands...

What book would you use? I'd probably lean more towards a gardening book or a baking cookbook.

Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest!

It's that time of the month again - your chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Mystery Lovers Bookshop.
I'll give you one line from a contemporary cozy and you have six days to email me the title and author at elleryadams@comcast.net
Please DO NOT POST the answer. You can certainly post a comment, but no title or author name in the comments, okay?
Here's the line: What are you getting yourself into now, Jillian?
Ellery's hint: The heroine's profession involves furry friends. Personally, I have four of these furballs. :)
Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! Hope it's a lucky one and that you all find your pot of gold!

Audio Books: A Poll

Books on Tape. That's what we used to call them. I've had a love affair with audio books for years and years. My favorite memory is the time my husband and I had a long drive ahead of us and since I had his undivided attention, I popped in  Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships.We had a great time, he was a good sport about it, and we left the car with a deeper appreciation of our differences (and jeez are they vast!)

Anyway, I write for Berkley Prime Crime under the guise of Hannah Reed. They own rights and haven't offered to distribute my stories as audio books. I also write as Deb Baker and have reissued my out-of-print titles as an independent author, making all the publishing decisions myself.

The other day I had an email from a man who has read my Gertie books and wanted to share them with his wife, who has a debilitating disease that doesn't allow her to read. He wanted to know if he could get them as audio books. That got me thinking. Should I make the investment in audio books? I'd have to hire a voice-over artist to do the reading. They aren't cheap. But I'd be perfectly happy just breaking even. Would I?

These are the thoughts going through my head. My stories would be available for download through Amazon and iTunes and other sites that specialize in audio books. Are readers downloading books and listening to them? I know Kindle has text-to-speech capability but the voice is mechanically.

So help me make the decision. Do you listen to audio books? And in what format?

Dru's Cozy Report: March Reading List

Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report. I will be sharing, on a monthly basis, my views on current cozy mysteries. The first two entries are debut series featuring a pet rescuer and a whitewater river ranger and the next two entries are about a small town mayor and school psychologist.

Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston is the first book in the new "Pet Rescue" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2011

At a particularly nasty puppy mill, Lauren helps rescue four adorable beagle puppies that were dumped down a drainpipe, and she's pretty sure she knows who is responsible. Efram Kiley, one of the mill's employees, has a history of dog abuse. And it seems he has a bone to pick with Lauren, because he soon shows up at HotRescues and stirs up trouble by threatening her. When Efram is found dead at the shelter, Lauren becomes the prime suspect, and she'll have to sniff out the real killer to keep herself out of a cage–for life.

Lauren Vancouver runs the local no-kill animal shelter and after a volunteer worker is fired, she finds his dead body and becomes prime suspect when it is learned they had a threatening confrontation. Believing that the police are not looking at anyone else, Lauren begins an investigation of her own to clear her name. The mystery kept me on my toes and I enjoyed watching Lauren sink her teeth into this case without fear of being bitten. There were some personal insights into Lauren and a hint of a romance on the horizon. The author's love of saving animals was evident as we learn the needs of re-homing and finding new adoptive homes for animals living in shelters. I can't wait to read the next book in this pet-friendly series.

Visit Linda O. Johnston's website at http://lindaojohnston.com/

Linda also writes the "Kendra Ballantine, Pet-Sitter" mystery series and paranormal romances for Harlequin.

FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Deadly Currents by Beth Groundwater is the first book in the new "Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures" mystery series. Publisher: Midnight Ink, March 2011

The Arkansas River, heart and soul of Salida, Colorado, fuels the small town's economy and thrums in the blood of river ranger Mandy Tanner. When a whitewater rafting accident occurs, she deftly executes a rescue, but a man dies anyway. Turns out, it wasn't the rapids that killed him—he was murdered. Tom King was a rich land developer with bitter business rivals, who cheated on his wife, refused to support his kayak-obsessed son, and infuriated environmentalists. Mandy's world is upended again when tragedy strikes closer to home. Suspicious that the most recent death is connected to Tom King's murder, Mandy goes on an emotionally turbulent quest for the truth—and ends up in dangerous waters.

What a wave of a ride! This story kept my attention as I watched Amanda (Mandy) Tanner slip into the fascinating world of whitewater rafting and investigating. Trying to protect her uncle's name, Mandy starts asking questions that someone does not want answered. Faced with a family heartbreak, Mandy moved up her efforts to find the murderer. The closer Mandy gets, a killer watches, ready to make a move. Striking out at her does not stop Mandy, but spurns her on. The author did a good job at twisting me around because I should have seen the killer but I didn't. That's a good mystery. I love the setting and this is from someone who will never get that close to nature's water. The wonderful cast features an exuberant Mandy, her best friend Cynthia, who tagged along on Mandy's investigations, her brother David, who I hope we see more of and her boyfriend, Rob. This was a wave-smashing soak-yourself-to-the-bone ride and I'm looking forward to the next adventure in this energizing series.

Visit Beth Groundwater's website at http://bethgroundwater.com/

Beth also writes the "Claire Hanover" mystery series.

FTC Full Disclosure - I bought this book.

A Touch Of Gold by Joyce and Jim Lavene is the second book in the "Missing Pieces" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2011

Long before he became curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle contributed its greatest treasure—a wooden chest full of gold he discovered washed up on shore. Tales of pirates and their booty have long been part of local folklore, but history is really made when someone fires a cannonball into the museum, destroying the building and killing Max, before looting the gold. Injured in the explosion, Dae finds her abilities have been amplified, overwhelming her with intense visions every time she touches an object. Now if ex-FBI agent—and burgeoning beau—Kevin Brickman can help Dae decipher her visions, she just might be able to stop the modern-day buccaneer from killing again.

Wow, what a story. Dae was just talking to the museum's curator when the building explodes killing him and injuring herself. When her abilities are acutely heighten, a touch of a gold coin tells her there's more to this building explosion and Dae vows to find the person responsible for killing her friend. This was a compelling story that captured my attention right from the start. This action-filled mystery started with a bang and didn't let up until the last secret was revealed. As Dae sort through all that she is envisioning, someone else is trying to hide their involvement by any means necessary, no matter who gets hurt. I like that the author had me going one way or the other as I tried to figure out who the killer was and then I knew and I was like "whoa." With a quaint coastal setting, a great cast and refreshing dialogue, this was an enjoyable and pleasant read and I look forward to reading the next book in this delightfully charming series.

Visit Joyce and Jim Lavene's website at http://www.joyceandjimlavene.com/

Joyce and Jim also write the "Renaissance Faire" mystery series.

FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Murder of a Bookstore Babe by Denise Swanson is the 13th book in the "Scumble River" mystery. Publisher: Obsidian, March 2011

Who could be driven to kill by books and sweets? While school psychologist Skye Denison eagerly anticipates the grand opening of a new bookstore called Tales & Treats, many of Scumble River's most outspoken citizens want to shut down the owners before they even open—and one is angry enough to commit murder. Dropping off some books at Tales & Treats, Skye trips over a toppled bookcase, which has crushed a woman beneath its weight. While police search for motives, Skye sees the messy aftermath of a half-baked plot to murder somebody else. Skye is juggling her own busy life, but when all the clues lead to dead ends, she turns up the heat on her own investigation ... and stumbles upon the deadly secret that got this bookstore babe done in. And if Skye isn't careful, the killer just might make her the sequel.

Skye is excited about the opening of the new bookstore. When she stops by later with donated books, she stumbles upon a woman's dead body. Assisting the police and with help from an ex-student, Skye will separate fact from fiction and bring this killer to justice. I love the pace of this story as we watch Skye interact with her friends, family and the townspeople. I adore the characters, especially watcher her mother May manipulates her family members. Skye's devotion to her multiple jobs and her family remain strong and I like that she is holding her own more against her mother. The author did a good job at capturing my attention and kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer, and when I did, I enjoyed seeing Skye put the pieces together. This was a good read and I look forward to the next book in the likable series.

Visit Denise Swanson's website at http://www.deniseswanson.com/

FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE

by Kate Collins

I've never read the book, "The Power of Positive Thinking," but I understand the principles. Think positive and your life will be positive. Negative thinking brings negative results. As Leann Sweeney mentioned in her blog yesterday, when you are in physical pain, or in my case, mental anguish brought on by grief, it's incredibly easy to slip into negative thinking. And if you don't change your mindset right away, you just get deeper and deeper into it, affecting your work product and your life.

I've had a real battle with that recently. Too much time alone, too much time to think back on my wonderful marriage, too many doubts about my future, worries about family members, making deadlines --- it all played into a very dark time for me this past week that resulted in being physically ill. But thanks to the loving support of my friends and family, I'm pulling out of it.

In talking about negative thinking with my best friend, she saw incidents of that in her own life. As a teacher, she has dealt with all kinds of children, but this year she has one student who is almost making her nuts. Nothing is working on him. She has gotten to the point of disliking this child, which is unusual for her. After we talked about how negativity can influence your thoughts and behavior, she is going back to school to look at this child with clear eyes.

I've read that when you're around negative people, they give off such strong negativity that it will make you irritable and uncomfortable. When you're around positive people, you feel full of energy and have a cheerful outlook. Do you know anyone who is so negative that s/he affects your mood? Are you attracted to people who are naturally cheerful and enthusiastic? It's something to think about, isn't it?

Wishing you positive thoughts,

Kate